Chapter 4The Stolen Lifeline

She walked right up to Nate, tugged on his hand, and asked timidly.

"Daddy, can I really live here?"

"Of course you can."

"Mommy said this is going to be my new home, and that I get to be with you every single day from now on. Is that true too?"

Elena stiffened.

Nate instinctively glanced at me.

I stared right back at him.

Waiting to see exactly how he would answer.

Two seconds passed. He avoided my eyes and affectionately ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Yes, this is Lily's home now. Daddy is going to be with you every single day, and all the pretty toys in your room are going to keep you company too."

I stared at him blankly for a moment, then finally stood up.

Just as I reached for the termination paperwork on the table, a hand clamped down on my wrist.

Nate looked at me.

"Clara, be mature."

Mature.

When that word dropped, the very last shred of warmth in my chest died.

I shook his hand off and walked into the master bedroom.

I pulled my suitcase from the closet and started packing.

Nate followed me in and shut the door.

"Clara, stop acting out."

"Lily is just a kid. Her body is still weak. What Elena and I said out there—"

I cut him off, finishing the sentence for him.

"I know. You were just saying it to comfort her."

"If you know that, then why are you giving everyone attitude? Why are you picking a fight over a child?"

The moment the words left his mouth, a deathly silence fell over the room.

Nate realized he had crossed a line. He took a deep breath and reached out to hug me.

"Be good. You're pregnant and you have a fever, stop being stubborn. I promise I'll be more mindful of your feelings from now on."

I dodged his embrace.

His arms hung awkwardly in the air.

A soft knock came from the bedroom door. Elena’s voice filtered through.

"Nate? Lily says she wants you to tuck her in. Do you have a minute to spare?"

Lily’s voice followed.

"Daddy, I want a mommy and a daddy to sleep with me like the other kids have! Come sleep with me, please?"

Nate frowned.

After a few seconds, he dropped his arms.

"Get some rest. I'll be back as soon as she falls asleep."

Look.

This was his version of being mindful of my feelings.

As he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something. "What was that paper you were holding in the living room?"

I gripped the termination paperwork, crumpling it in my fist, then let it go.

I tore it into pieces right in front of him and dropped it into the trash can.

"Nothing important."

Nate gave me one last look and walked out.

My vision swam, and I sank weakly to the floor.

At this point, even feeling disappointed felt like a waste of energy.

I was halfway through packing when my fever spiked again, dragging me into a deep, unconscious haze.

When I finally woke up, it was well past the time I usually left for work. I walked out to the kitchen, only to find Nate gently coaxing Lily to eat her breakfast.

Seeing me, he got up to grab a bowl of oatmeal from the stove.

"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you."

Lily looked at me, slowly put down her spoon, and mumbled impatiently.

"Daddy, I'm done eating. Hurry up and take me and Mommy to get our wedding pictures taken."

My heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle, but the pain wasn't as sharp as it used to be.

Nate froze.

Elena jumped up in a panic, scrambling to explain.

"Clara, I was reading Lily a bedtime story last night, and the book had a picture of the parents' wedding. She thought Nate and I... Her body is still so fragile, we only pretended we were going to take photos so she wouldn't get upset..."

Lily burst into tears.

"Why are we pretending?! Aren't you and Daddy in love?! You told me last night you were going to stay together forever..."

She cried inconsolably.